Prisma Medienservice, a contracting organization in Eastern Switzerland and subsidiary of St. Galler Tagblatt AG, has expanded its online offering to include a tool for calculating scatter advertising. Internet users can now use a virtual map to edit the desired distribution area. They can select their desired cantons, districts or localities at the click of a mouse. The costs for dispatch are calculated directly. The tool complements the existing instant calculation, which is based on text. At the same time as switching to the new system, Prisma has also revised its website.

The movie channel Das Vierte has had an online store created by Bertelsmann subsidiary Crossmarketing Arvato Services. In addition to DVDs, CDs, books, games and umbrellas, you can also buy underpants with the channel's logo. Perhaps these will remind one or two dates to switch to the NBC channel again.

The International Newspaper Color Quality Club (INCQC) has announced the new 50 members for 2006-2008. These include the following ten Swiss newspapers: Tages-Anzeiger, NZZ and NZZ am Sonntag, Blick and SonntagsBlick, St. Galler Tagblatt, Neue Luzerner Zeitung, Bieler Tagblatt, Journals du Jura and Coop Zeitung. 181 titles from 38 countries entered the competition. Newspapers wishing to have their print and reproduction quality measured in this competition are tested on numerous aspects. Samples from the daily production and a test element as well as an editorial image and a digital advertisement are required, which are assessed by a 14-member jury.

Five months after its first edition, the free newspaper Le Matin Bleu in French-speaking Switzerland has 244,000 regular readers. This is the result of a survey conducted by market researcher Link Institut, in which 1842 people were questioned between November 2005 and March 2006. 47.5 % of readers belong to the group of young active urbanites, 15 to 34-year-olds, who give the Edipresse free product an affinity index of 138. The paper is read by 48 % women and 52% men. The survey also shows that the launch of the rival newspaper 20 minutes from Tamedia has not yet had any impact on readership figures. On the contrary, the figures for the month of March have risen to 289,000 readers. Le Matin Bleu is not yet included in the current WEMF surveys; the advertising media researcher's first figures on the free newspaper market in Switzerland will follow in September.

It is the declared aim of Swiss Exhibition to become one of the leading "live marketing companies". Looking at the balance sheet figures, the group is well on the way to achieving this goal: in the 2005 financial year, Swiss Exhibition generated a profit of CHF 14.6 million on revenues of CHF 221.9 million. According to a press release, this was due to a dense and successful exhibition program last year. The Board of Directors will propose to the shareholders' meeting that a dividend of CHF 5 per share be distributed, as the price of the Swiss Exhibition registered share rose by over 100 percent from CHF 188 to CHF 378 in the course of 2005. This makes it one of the biggest winners on the Swiss stock exchange. For 2006, Swiss Exhibition is expecting a lower result, as the relevant own exhibition business is significantly weaker than in 2005 due to the rotation of events.

The BSW General Assembly has elected Kurt G. Schmid (Lowe) as the new President to succeed Peter Leutenegger (FCB Leutenegger Krüll). For Schmid, it is "important" that Frank Bodin (Euro RSCG) has become his deputy and vice versa. In this constellation, the two differently based representatives of Swiss advertising see the best chance of getting a grip on the future. The number one problem has been identified as the fee system. A working group is to draw up new proposals on how the BSW can help its members "to find their way back to decent payment". The aim is to make customers even more aware that creativity is a very valuable asset for successful developments in the market.
Another important task is to strengthen the reputation of Swiss advertising internationally. "We want to design the new Tate Gallery in the form of an advertising campaign," demands Frank Bodin. He draws a comparison with Swiss architects. In contrast to advertising from Switzerland, their work has long enjoyed a worldwide reputation.
The representatives of the Swiss advertising industry acknowledge the developments and new opportunities of globalized competition. However, they also want to point out that the advertising industry in Switzerland has a great deal of economic capital that should be used by clients with a corresponding "economic responsibility". Why does a Swiss television station have to have its new logo designed abroad when graphics and typography from Switzerland have long enjoyed a worldwide reputation? Other signals could be set here. This also applies to internationally active companies in Switzerland. "Agencies are only as good as the orders they receive that allow them to demonstrate their capabilities," says Bodin. In many international pitches, Swiss companies are not even invited. "But there is no reason why this is the case," say the BSW creatives.   
Andreas Panzeri

(pr) Marketing information in compact form, providing valuable insights into future trends - this is what the Marketing Focus Central Switzerland has set itself again this year. As in previous years, the organizers expect 200 to 300 executives from the fields of marketing, communication and corporate management decision-makers to attend in 2006. The Marketing Focus Central Switzerland aims to offer more than just networking and industry contacts. Speakers such as Councillor of States Carlo Schmid, President of Swiss Advertising, Professor Dr. Adrienne Schäfer, lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Otto Meier, CEO of Publicitas Switzerland, Frank Bodin, CEO of Euro RSCG and Andri Martin Färber, CEO of Kompass Verlag AG & Orell Füssli Wirtschaftsinformationen AG, will provide quality information.
The event and the panel will be moderated by Ruedi Wyss, a freelance journalist and Tele Tell presenter with first-hand knowledge of the business and communications sector.
Key data of the event
Venue: Grand Casino Lucerne, Haldenstrasse 6, 6006 Lucerne
Date: Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Program:
15.00 Arrival of the participants
15.50 Welcome / Introduction
16.00 1st part of the presentations
17.00 Break / Refreshments
17.30 2nd part of the presentations
18.15 Moderated panel discussion
18.55 Final moderation / Closing
19.00 Aperitif
21.00 End of conference
The "Marketing FOCUS Zentralschweiz" (MFZ) is a marketing event that will take place for the fifth time in 2006. It conveys the latest marketing trends and practical marketing knowledge in a compact form, but also offers a welcome platform for networking and valuable industry contacts in the Central Swiss economy. The events held since 2002 have always been able to inspire a wide audience. The organizers of the MFZ are made up of members of the Swiss Marketing Club (SMC) from the groups "SMC Lucerne", "SMC Zug" and "SMC Evolution" as well as members of the "Werbeclub Zentralschweiz" (WCZ) and the Zentralschweizer PR Gesellschaft (ZSPR).

More information on the website: www.marketingfocus.ch.

Sacha Wigdorovits, the former project manager and board member of the free newspaper 20 Minuten, has entered the race for the free newspaper market and is planning another free newspaper, according to a report in "NZZ am Sonntag". Wigdorovits confirmed to the "NZZ am Sonntag" that a concept is available and that all necessary preliminary clarifications have been made. Wigdorovits wants to launch the new free newspaper with the participation of regional publishers. Both Basler Zeitung Medien and the AZ Medien Group have confirmed that talks are underway. However, there is currently a pause for thought.
 
According to "NZZ am Sonntag", the Wigdorovits project has little chance of success due to two stumbling blocks. The planned free paper is not to be distributed via the newspaper box, but by means of early delivery. However, this type of distribution does not suit the regional publishers. The second problem lies with the Bern-based Espace Media Group. Although it is keen to participate in a free newspaper, it would prefer to participate in 20 Minuten than in Wigdorovits' project. An appeal against the ruling of the Competition Commission, which prohibited the Bern-based company from acquiring 17.5 percent of 20 Minuten in January 2004, is still pending. The "NZZ am Sonntag" sees real chances for Wigdorovits' project only if Espace Media is also denied a stake in 20 Minuten by the Appeals Commission.
 
Ringier is also currently planning two free newspapers, the business newspaper "Cash daily", which is to be delivered in the morning, and a free newspaper for a younger readership, which is likely to be offered to commuters in the evening.

From Monday, the Frankfurter Rundschau will be published with a special evening edition for Frankfurt. The evening edition will be sold at 45 outlets from 8 p.m. on Mondays to Thursdays. The evening edition is the complete edition of the following day with an additional regionalized first page. As WErben & Verkaufen reports, the Frankfurter Rundschau wants to become a full-service provider in Frankfurt and reach commuters and night owls. The new edition is intended to close the gap in coverage that previously existed in the evening.

Various offers from the film industry and individual TV channels are about to be launched. As the NZZ am Sonntag reports, In2Movies, the online service from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment and Bertelsmann subsidiary Arvato, was announced in January. The service is due to launch in April, but the prices for movies and series are not yet known. Disney, on the other hand, is relying on the Moviebeam service, which requires a set-top subscription. Disney wants to interrupt the films with advertising and offer some of them in HDTV quality. It is still unclear whether the service will also be offered in Europe. Maxdome, a download service from the TV channels Pro7, Sat1, N24 and 1&1, is also due to launch in May. Films will cost from EUR 1, while entire theme packages with up to 400 hours of TV programs will be available from EUR 10. In addition, various broadcasters already offer programs and documentaries for download for a fee via video-on-demand (VoD). Spiegel TV, Arte or Arcor are mentioned with prices ranging from 1.50 to 4 euros per documentary or program. As the New York Times recently reported, Amazon is also planning to enter the movie download business. Unlike its competitors, it will also be possible to burn the films onto DVD. Swiss television also relies on VoD, although the service is currently free of charge. SF sees VoD primarily as an additional channel to increase its reach.

The community's enthusiasm for the 100-volume print edition of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia has been limited. The Berlin-based Zenodot publishing house has therefore postponed its plans. However, the publisher intends to stick to the idea and present the project to the community for discussion again in January 2007.

WEMF has expanded and updated its glossary for the media sector. The revised version now offers explanations of more than 150 terms such as affinity index, widest user group or trust index. In addition, users can find out which studies are covered by MA Net or MACH Basic. Furthermore, interested parties can find the abbreviations most frequently used in WEMF studies and statistics. The glossary is available in German and French at www.wemf.ch.